Thirst
by arashikishu000
Summary: Yukari Shiina is just a normal day class student in Cross Academy. But when she discovers the night class' secret, she becomes entangled in an incredulous reality that would inexplicably turn her world upside down forever. IchijoOC.
1. Stones

Hi guys, Arashikishu000 here. First of all, I want to apologize for my serious lack of updating during these past few decades. I've been cramped with so much work and other activities and that I neglected my lovely readers! Again, I apologize. All I can hope for is for you guys to take me back and forgive me? *hopeful face*

Second of all, I missed you guys! It's been such a long time since I last wrote for fun, and boy, does it feel refreshing, ha ha. But most importantly, I've updated my story into a newer version that better suits my current writing style. After re-reading this story recently, I've realized that…well…it needed some renovation. I had so many ideas that I wanted to express through _Bloodlust_ that didn't translate too well because of inadequate writing. Therefore, now that I've improved my literary merits a little (I hope), I wish to give you an improved version of _Bloodlust_. So in order to complete the transformation, I have renamed this fan fiction to _Thirst_. As a humble servant to your entertainment, I do hope you enjoy this story. Please review and tell me what you think; constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms. Alas, without further adieus, Arashikishu000 presents the Vampire Knight fan fiction: _Thirst_.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. And that's a good thing. Trust me.

xxxxx

**1: Stones**

The morning sun rose, enveloping Cross Academy in an embrace of warmth and light. Ice that kept the grassy fields rigid slowly melted into dewdrops as the chilly night atmosphere changed into bright, refreshing day. Anyone else would have described this scenery as beautiful. Anyone else but Yukari Shiina.

"Ummph" Yukari mumbled sleepily, head tucked deep in her blankets as she tried to avoid the sun's penetrating glare. She wanted nothing but to sink into blissful slumber for eternity, because she knew that when she woke up, she would have to face the incomprehensible and stressful entity known as school.

'_So warm…so comfortable…so nice to sleep…dun wanna wake u—_'

Suddenly, loud bursts of repetitive, choppy shrills blasted off in Yukari's ears. In the flash of a second, the girl screamed, threw off her blankets and scrambled to the foot of the bed. When Yukari finally regained her composure, she came face-to-face with the perpetrator standing beside her bed, one arm perched haughtily on her hip, and the other carrying the shrieking abomination. The girl was dressed in the pristine Cross Academy uniform, her flaming red hair falling neatly around her shoulders, not a strand out of place.

"Mari!" Yukari exclaimed over the noise. "Turn that thing _off_!"

"Raise and shine, Kari," Mari said with a deceptively sweet voice and finally turned the alarm clock off.

"Fudge, Mari…" Yukari slumped against the wall to her bed. "Um… is it time for school already?"

"Get up already, Yukari! It's already seven-twenty five—Class starts in _five minutes_!" Yukari almost jumped out of her bed in alarm.

"What? Five minutes?" Yukari's eyes widened like saucers. She was fully awake now. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"Oh, stop whining. Your alarm clock has been ringing for, like, half an houralready. Here, catch." Mari threw a uniform with Yukari's arms as Yukari ran out of the door, with perfect precision. They had been doing this on a regular basis, after all.

"Thanks!" Yukari called. Fifteen seconds later she was in front of the mirror in the shared dormitory bathroom, rummaging a comb through her shoulder-length black hair and splashing cold water into her face. Tearing off her pajamas in a flurry of rapid motions, Yukari managed to tug on her uniform in two minutes. A minute later, she was hopping back to her room with a toothbrush in her mouth, with two hands trying to stuff her left foot in a sock. Mari's usually pretty face into one of absolute horror at seeing her best friend's state.

"I would be completely speechless right now if I wasn't your roommate. Or if you're not a girl."

Yukari rolled her eyes. "comf on, lefs go!" She said through her toothbrush as she took her schoolbag from Mari's outstretched hand. With that, the two girls sprinted down the hallway, having dealt with yet another typical morning.

xxxxx

Cross Academy was a unique school, to say the least. The school was relatively new, but it was built with an old, neoclassical feel. The windows stretched until they were almost as big as doors, allowing so much sunlight into the classroom that electric light was seldom needed during the day. The classrooms' structures were nearly identical to university classrooms, with stacks of long desks descending below one another, stopping at the front of the room, where the teacher lectured. The school was reputable for being more like a mansion than an actual high school. New students enjoyed the eccentric and fantasy-like qualities of the campus, but for students who were used to the panache, the lunch bell was a welcoming sound.

"Yay lunch!" Misaki, a cheerful blond haired girl announced. She was average in height and had two small, semi ponytails that lay on top of hair that dipped just above her shoulders. Misaki was a nice girl, but she was naïve and had a reputation to be a little gullible and cowardly at times.

Nonetheless, it was evident that the rest of the class felt the same enthusiasm as Misaki, for students quickly rearranged themselves into groups and started chatting away about test scores, scandals, and, most of all (perhaps the most important), the night class.

"Statistics say that 88% of teenage girls wake up early to do their hair everyday," Mari read from a magazine. Misaki, Kaoru and Yukari were all seated around Mari's table, the earlier two being far more attentive than the later. "Will have at least worn four pairs of skirts in their lives, and have at least one crush." Mari raised her eyes at Yukari.

"Yukari, why do I get the feeling that none of these rules apply to you?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Yukari said with a mouthful of steamed pork buns. "I get hungry a lot because I do so many sports."

"I was so surprised when I saw you two today, running into the classroom all breathless like that. I swear, the teacher's face was so red it looked like he was about to blow up." Kaoru, a self-proclaimed tomboy with short black hair giggled in an untomboy-like fashion.

"Hey, it's not like I come late to class everyday," Yukari defended.

"No, just most of the time." Mari smirked, arching a fine eyebrow provokingly at Yukari.

"Mari!"

"But it's such a shame, Kari. You're so pretty…if only you weren't such a tomboy. Then we'd really get some potential." Mari sighed dramatically.

"Hey Yukari, have you ever had a crush on anyone?" Kaoru prodded.

"No." Yukari replied. "I just don't have time for a boyfriend right now."

"Really?" Misaki retorted. "Not even on the night class? I mean, come on. Even the girls there are dreamy."

"It's impossible NOT to crush on them. I mean, they're _perfection_. Smart, beautiful, elegant and graceful… who wouldn't to date someone like _that_?" Kaoru gushed.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Yukari acknowledged. What Kaoru said wasn't baseless. The night class's reputation for beauty, intelligence and grace was widespread throughout the entire school population. A person only had to take one look at a member of the night class to swoon and kiss their feet. But the first time that Yukari saw them, she was struck with a sense of ominous premonition that weighed like stones in her gut. The night class, with their superior forms and marble faces had so much perfection that they seemed to ooze superiority over people like her. And Yukari could see it in their eyes, in the way they carried themselves: their belief—no, the knowledge that that they could dominate everyone else if they so wished. Yukari had tried to avoid the night class ever since her that encounter because they've always made her feel uneasy. But Yukari didn't believe herself to be 'strange', as so many of her peers stated, just because she didn't fawn over the night class. In fact, she was confused as to why the others were so infatuated with the people who to her screamed _danger._

But Yukari was telling the truth when she said she didn't have time to be distracted. The entire reason why she even got into the prestigious (and therefore expensive) Cross Academy in the first place was because she scored a sports scholarship here. Yukari grew up on a poor, rural village, and her single mother worked day and night to get her into a decent public school. So it was a big deal when she got accepted into Cross Academy.

'_So I vowed to become a professional athlete and give my mum never ending luxury. What girl can afford to get a boyfriend with goals this big?_' Yukari closed her eyes and nodded in agreement to her thoughts. If this was an anime, there would be a sparkle in her eyes. She chewed on another pork bun.

"Oh my gosh," Mari gushed, suddenly slamming her magazine down. "Ichijo-senpai is _so hot_!"

"Uh oh," Some boys behind Mari said. "There they go again."

"My favorite is Aidou-kun!" Misaki squealed.

"And they're way rich, to boot! I bet they'll just make the ideal boyfriend," Kaoru fawned.

"And we'll only have to wait for five hours until we can see them again! And this time I'm taking Yukari with me." Mari announced, looking at Yukari with a great big smile like she was doing her the favor of a lifetime.

Yukari stopped eating.

"But the girls who wait by the gates are so scary!" Yukari blanched in nervousness as she flashbacked about the last time she went with Mari…she ended up with bruises all over her body and hips that throbbed every time she moved. "Anyways, although I'd love to come, I have track practice now. So yeah, see you guys at dinner bye!"

"What are you talking about? We have History next. And your track meeting doesn't last from lunch to dinner, silly." Mari said with the same sweet-looking face as she carried that morning. "I hope you're not trying to avoid this, Kari." Mari placed her hand on Yukari's shoulders and squeezed in ominous warning. "Best friends do everything together!"

It was in these times that Yukari wished Mari didn't have such an aggressive personality.

"But I still have track after school, so I won't be able to make i—"

"That's ok Yukari, because I'll wait for you until your practice ends!" Mari said sweetly.

Yukari mentally cursed. _'Damn. Foiled again!'_

xxxxx

Mari was serious.

"Mari, wait—sorry, coming through…ouch! Hey! Excuse me—oof!" Yukari choked as she struggled past the masses of girls that were constantly pushing against her. School for day class students had ended not too long ago, and the night class students were just about to come through their dormitory gates and go into the school buildings. In the darkening blue sky, a gigantic sea of girls were clamoring, pushing, and prodding against each other to get to the front of the gates. Yukari knew that Mari wanted to be in front this time so she could see her darling Ichijo, but she didn't know that it was going to be this…suffocating!

"Mari!" Yukari gasped as she finally reached the front of the masses of shrieking girls. "Mari, there you are! I thought I was going to die—"

Suddenly, the volume of unsynchronized noise maximized three folds, and random girls bounced up in simultaneous excitement. The school prefect Yuki Cross, who Yukari saw in the corner of her eye, was desperately trying to keep the crowd in line. Yukari knew that Yuki was uncannily athletic from what she'd seen in their gym classes together, but it still seemed like a miracle that Yuki was able to keep the girls from bursting into the gates. For a moment, Yukari forgot all about her own predicament and felt only sympathy for Yuki as she witnessed first hand the demands of the prefect's job.

From the sudden silence that Yukari heard, she assumed that the night class members were already at the gate. The gates opened slowly, confirming Yukari's suspicions, and the long-awaited night class students began to descend past the gates. The day class girls were struck in speechless, motionless awe yet again by the unworldly grace and beauty that the individuals before them projected. Yukari took this chance to reach Mari, having to push a few bodies out of her way as she proceeded.

Suddenly, without warning, the girls screamed in unison and the excitement that existed before intensified two folds. But strangely, no one in the front lines went forward to glomp the objects of their affections, almost as if there was an invisible line that separated the day class students from the night class students. It was as if, despite of the day class students' absolute adoration, they knew they had to keep a between themselves and the night class.

But this didn't stop girls (and some boys) in the back to try to claw their ways to the front. And Yukari, caught unaware of this sudden escapade of violence, suddenly found her body greeted with kicks, jabs, and sharp, painful prods. Suddenly, Yukari was pushed out of the crowd, over the invisible line and into cold, foreign emptiness.

Yukari stumbled, and soon she felt the sensation of falling, of danger and losing control. Yukari stretched her arms outward and shut her eyes in anticipation. But instead of hitting ground, Yukari fell on a soft barrier and felt strong, solid leverages circle around her back. Yukari opened her eyes in confusion.

The first thing Yukari saw was the distinct collar of a white jacket. Then, she noticed that everything around her had gone silent. It was as if she'd fallen into another dimension where time was frozen.

Suddenly, the arms that encircled her shifted. Yukari felt solid hands move on her back, hear the distinct rustling of her jacket, a rich sound that cleaved the silence. Yukari looked up and saw the most intimidating and bewitching sight in the sixteen short years of her life. For a split moment, a pair of emerald eyes bore into hers with a passive intensity that made her body freeze and her stomach sink. But the moment was so short that Yukari wondered if it even happened at all.

_Pluck_

_Oh…_

"Are you alright?" Ichijo Takuma, the boy who was supporting Yukari's sloping body in his arms smiled his pleasant trademark smile and Yukari finally comprehended the situation she was shoved in.

_A night class student._

And then frozen time was irrevocably shattered and the world regained its usual discomposure.

"Kyaaaaa!" The crowds burst out. "Ichijo-senpai!"

_Ichijo_? Yukari panicked as she scrambled from his arms. "Sorry! Someone pushed me—"

Ichijo chuckled, not acting at all surprised for someone who just caught a girl who fell face-first into his chest.

"It's fine. Just remember to be more careful in the future, alright?" Ichijo warned Yukari in a sincere and good-natured tone. And the exact same smile again.

_Pluck_

Finally, Ichijo turned his eyes away and began to proceed in his path with the rest of the night students, who seemed to have stopped to wait for him.

Yukari stood there, dumbstruck, staring at his back until he disappeared.

"H-hey! To the day class student over there, please get back in line!" Yuki Cross shouted over the ruckus and blew her whistle.

"Huh—What?" Yukari snapped out of her stupor and looked behind her, coming face-to-face with the carnage of wailing girls. "No way! I'll never go back in there again, not in this lifetime—NOO!" But, alas, Yukari couldn't escape in time and was pulled back into the sea of dread.

_Pluck._

xxxxx


	2. Discovery

Hi guys, Arashikishu000 is back! A great big thank you to everyone that reviewed the first chapter. Your feedback means a great deal to me

So now I present you with chapter two of Thirst. Please review and tell me what you think; and most of all, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. Matsuri Hino does.

xxxxx

**2: Discovery**

"_Yukari, quick, look over there!" Mari pointed a quivering finger to the direction in front of them. "Who are they?" _

_Yukari followed Mari's finger to see two girls clad in white versions of their uniform, walking along the garden path of their school. Soft, fluid movements, upright, elegant bodies, flowing satiny hair, milky white skin—creatures that surely could not be the same as humans. Too flawless, too perfect. _

"_They must be the night class that everyone keeps taking about." Mari said in a breathy voice, all her attention ensnared by the two figures._

_Ah…so that's what the night class are like, Yukari thought. _

_Pluck. _

_The first stone sank into Yukari's stomach like uranium._

xxxxx

"Ow!" Yukari exclaimed as Mari pressed a cool, wet cloth against her abused spine. The dark blue skies had transformed into a starless night, and the two girls were back in their dormitory, recovering from their experience earlier that afternoon.

"Don't press so hard. It feels like someone snapped it in two."

"That's one big bruise. Whoever made it had one hell of a strong arm." Mari frowned, applying balm to Yukari's bare back. "You got all these injuries when you went back into the crowd, after that incident with Ichijo-senpai, right? They probably hurt you on purpose, those jealous bitches."

"Ow ow ow! Don't press so hard." Yukari could tell that Mari was seething just from the way her fingers pressed mercilessly into Yukari's back.

"Hey Mari, are you angry at me?" It would be understandable. Who wouldn't be angry after seeing another girl all over their crush? Those girls in front of the gates certainly were, judging from the ugly splotches on Yukari's torso. Yukari barely knew what hit her when she was suddenly manhandled from all directions with aggressive pushes and sharp elbow jabs.

"Why would I be angry at you?" Mari said, still pressing keenly on Yukari's back.

"Cause, you know; the whole thing with Ichijo earlier…aren't you in love with him?"

"Ichijo-_senpai_. And no, I'm not angry. I am a little jealous, though. You got to be the perfect little damsel in distress and be saved by _him_ of all people! I can't even express how envious I am of you. To land in his chest…to gaze into those perfect eyes...and his perfect face…and those delicate yet strong hands…" Yukari sweat dropped as Mari took a trip to la la land. "…um, anyways. Just make sure you don't fall for him, ok?" Mari said.

"Mari, I would turn around to hug you right now but I'm paralyzed."

"Just wait until I get the acupuncture needles out." Mari laughed.

"Ah ha ha, that's a good one." Yukari laughed with Mari, until she turned around and saw Mari's expression of sadistic enjoyment and pure evilness.

Yukari blanched and her jaw dropped. There was no need for further warning of the pain she would inevitably suffer tonight.

"Hee hee! Silly Kari, you thought I was joking." Mari giggled as she pulled out an ominous black box. "Now be a good girl and turn around."

"W-wait wait wait wait wait. You can't be serious!" Yukari said, barely able to mask her horror.

"Of course I am! And don't worry, because I used to do this to my little sister all the time. You know what they say: no pain no gain."

Yukari cried a big 'no' in protest, but something in Mari's medicine made her unable to escape. As Yukari caught a glimpse of the needles in Mari's box, she couldn't help but wonder which people she feared more: the night class or Mari.

Tonight was going to be a long, long night.

xxxxx

Yukari walked across the grassy fields in tiptoe motions, eyes and ears alert for any sign of life. It was already midnight, so all day class students should be asleep by now. Yukari knew that she was breaking a serious rule by being outside of her dorm this late, but she had been breaking curfew almost every night to run. Although her old school was under funded and run down, Yukari still missed it, because she could use the track field whenever she wanted to. And use it she did, almost everyday, to practice running. Cross Academy, with its strict regulations, made Yukari miss the freedom of being able to run whenever she wanted to, to explore and push herself to her limits. Eventually, Yukari was able to deal with her new school's oppressive regulations by sneaking out at night to run; because for Yukari, running was her sanctuary. The strain of her muscles, furious pumping of her blood, that rushing euphoria to her brain: running was not having to deal with her problems anymore…exhilaration, freedom: true, unadulterated happiness.

Yukari finally made it around the back side of the main building when she heard some noises on the other side. Alarmed, she quickly hid behind the corner of the building. When she peeked out from her hiding place, she saw three figures of what appeared to be day class girls. One of the figures, Yukari realized, was the prefect Yuki Cross.

A sudden breeze whooshed across Yukari's body, temporarily blinding her as hair blew across her face. When she regained her sight, Yukari saw, in the pale silvery light of the unveiled moon, the addition of two night class boys to the girls. Yuki was in front of the two girls in a flash, poised in a defense position with what seemed like a staff pointed at the intruders. The atmosphere was suddenly filled with so much tension that even Yukari could feel it weighing in the air.

_Something's wrong,_ Yukari thought. _Why was the prefect protecting the girls from the upright and harmless night class students? With a weapon, too?_

Suddenly, one of the night class students took Yuki's hand and pressed his mouth to her wrist. Yukari began to have the familiar sinking sensation in the pits of her stomach as Yuki struggled futilely in the night class student's grasp. The briefest gleam of sharp white appeared between the boy's mouth and Yuki's wrist before Yuki cried.

_Pluck._

"No no Hanabusa! _Let go!_" Yuki's body convulsed as she screamed, agitation, fear and anger apparent in her voice. But she was trapped in the boy's grip, and no one dared to help her—the two girls behind her froze up and collapsed onto the ground, and the other night class student looked too bored to even care.

_Pluck._

A dribble of glistening red liquid slid down Yuki's wrist. Then another, down her assailant's chin. As if a dam had been broken, the red expanded rapidly over Yuki's skin, hitting the cement in morbidly delicate drops.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Yukari stared at the glistening pool of blood in horror.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yuki's assailant raised his head from her hand. He pulled his too-red lips back, revealing a toothy smile. His teeth, pure white in the moonlight, were a sharp contradiction to his bloody red lips. Then, Yukari saw it: two long, sharp incisors protruding from the boy's teeth, so alien to Yukari that it was impossible to miss.

The assailant lowered his head to Yuki's neck.

Yukari gagged. The metallic smell clogging up her nose made her sick. She wanted to sprint, to get as far away from this scene as possible. But her sinews, her muscles refused to move; and she was afraid that, if she did snap out of her immobility, everything around her would shatter and she would be in Yuki's place, having her blood drained and smeared over her skin.

Suddenly, with a speed that Yukari's eyes could not follow, a day class student emerged from the shadows. With his sturdy frame and silver hair, the intruder could only be Zero Kiryuu, the other school prefect. However, instead of being alarmed or frightened, Kiryuu pulled out a silvery metallic gun from his hoister and aimed it point blank at Yuki's attacker's head.

Yukari made a choking sound. '_This isn't real. There's no way any of this is real. People don't suck each other's blood and students don't point guns at each other. No no no no no._'

The abrupt blast from Kiryuu's gun rang through the night air and snapped Yukari out of her reverie. Like a wildfire, energy that had been bottled up in Yukari's chest erupted and flooded her body, and Yukari suddenly had too much energy in her legs. She turned around and ran to the opposite direction, needing to get as far away from the scene as possible.

_Run, honey. Always, always, run away._

Yukari's legs felt as if they were on fire, her muscles ready to split under the pressure of every rapid movement she made. The night air, which was cold before, now transformed into vicious freezing currents that stabbed her skin. Yukari could feel her heart hammer against her ribcage and blood was pounding against her ears and she couldn't even breathe anymore. Struggling for air in rapid, shallow breaths, Yukari felt the stones in her stomach bounce in her stomach with every step that she sprinted.

"Ow!" Yukari shouted as she tripped over her own foot and tumbled onto a wet, grassy field. The stones in her stomach lurched with the impact, and Yukari felt her gag reflex ignite as she threw up on the grass. But there were no stones, just vomit.

Trembling a little in shock, Yukari examined her surroundings. She had no idea how long she'd been running, but she was already past her dormitories and on the other side of the school garden. Even if her cry had been loud, she doubted that anyone would have heard it. Yukari rose to her feet and noticed a dark red fluid dribbling lazily down her knees. Her eyes widened as she recalled the night class boy's teeth in Yuki's wrist.

_They'll come for me. _

Clenching her teeth, Yukari ran back to the day class buildings, up the stairs of her dormitories, and down the halls into her room, oblivious to the ruckus she made as her feet hit the floor. She dropped into her bed and pulled the covers over her head as soon as she entered the room, not even bothering to change.

'_If I fall asleep now,_' Yukari thought,'_I'll wake up in the morning and find that this is all a dream._'

xxxxx


	3. Deal

Hi guys! I'm back, for better or for worse, with a new chapter of Thirst. A special thanks to all of those who reviewed. Your feedback means lots of love to me

I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: Me no own Vampire Knight. *Cue massive crocodile tears and temper tantrum flailing*.

xxxxx

**3: Deal**

_"—ari." "Kari" "Yukari!"_

In the distance, Yukari heard a familiar voice repeating her name. Upon realizing the voice as Mari's, Yukari immediately sprung up and flopped down her covers.

"Is it time for class already?" she asked, body rigid and eyes alert.

"Wow, you actually woke up early this time. It's seven o' clock." Mari, still clad in her nightgown, said as she gestured to the still dark blue sky and sat on the edge of Yukari's bed. She pursed her lips as she took in Yukari's pasty complexion. "What's going on, Yukari?" Mari said in a worried tone. "Last night I heard you running in the halls at one o' clock in the morning. Now you have eye bags and you look like you haven't got any sleep! And—why are you in your gym strip?" she gasped. "Did you sneak out last night?"

"Mari, I had a scary dream last night—what?"

"You snuck out, didn't you!" Mari repeated. "You're wearing gym sweats."

As if a trigger had been pushed, the events of the previous night rushed back to Yukari. The blood curling scene she witnessed, the night class student's lips against Yuki's wrist, his too-sharp teeth, her blood—he was drinking—no, _sucking_ her blood, and Zero was aiming a gun and the other night class student didn't even care and…that was all a dream, right?

Yukari sat up in her bed in mechanic motions. She lifted the covers off her legs and examined her knee. Her scraped knee.

"Oh my—" Mari said in a startled voice, blanching as she took in the gore on Yukari's leg. "Yukari! What the hell—"

Any color that used to be on Yukari's face was completely gone now. "It's not a dream…" she whispered, staring at her knee in shock. What happened last night was _real_. Inexplicably, undeniably real.

Mari ran to the washroom and came back with a small medical kit. "Give me your leg, Kari, we have to get that disinfected. We`ll deal with this situation later." She said in a tone that assured Yukari that she was in trouble and would have some explaining to do.

xxxxx

The day passed quickly for Yukari, with Mari dragging her here and there, trying to snap her out of her stupor. By night, Kaoru and Misaki had joined Mari in her efforts to revert Yukari back to normal and the four now sat together on the floor in Mari's dorm. The girls tried everything from hitting Yukari with soccer balls in gym class to gossiping about outrageous scandals. None of them worked. Yukari was the same as she was that morning, staring off into space in a vegetative state.

"Hello, earth to Kari!" Misaki exclaimed, waving a hand in front of Yukari's face.

"She's been like a statue ever since this morning," Mari said in frustration. "And she won't tell me a thing."

"So, if that other night class guy didn't do anything, does that mean that he already knows?" Yukari muttered under her breath. "What happened to those two girls that saw everything? And Yuki and Zero…do they know, too? Why aren't they doing anything when they know about that blood-sucking boy here?"

"Say, don't you ever wonder if the night class are vampires?" Kaoru said abruptly.

Yukari flinched.

"What?" she snapped, finally breaking out of her dream-like state.

"Yukari! You're back!" Mari, Kaoru and Misaki exclaimed in relief.

"No, no, never mind that! What did you say just now?" Yukari said to Kaoru.

"I'm just saying," Kaoru said, surprised at Yukari's sudden outburst. "Don't you ever wonder why they're so beautiful, smart, and only go to class at _night_?"

"Yeah, you have a point!" Misaki joined, eyes widening.

"So…" Yukari said, horrified. "They're **all** vampires?"

"Yukari, what's with that expression? It looks like you've just seen a zombie.." Kaoru said.

"Kari, maybe you should rest for a while." Mari cautioned, nudging Yukari to the direction of the bed.

Yukari leaned back until she collapsed on the ground. _So if they're all vampires, then does this mean that the headmaster knows as well? Was he…the one that made them come here?_

"Yukari, what's up with you today?" Mari asked, frustration and worry re-emerging in her voice. "Ugh. I've been trying to get her out of her 'phase' for the whole day, but nothing has worked. I think it's time we pull out plan B."

"Plan B?" Kaoru asked, interested.

The look of frustration on Mari's face was quickly replaced with one of deviousness. "Ta da!" she announced as she pulled out a small, sleek, and expensive looking red camera.

"Oh my gosh!" Misaki almost fell over in excitement. "That's the CAMron three thousand! The _only_ pocket sized camera that can take up to three thousand pictures plus! where'd you jack this baby from?"

"Misaki!" Mari gasped in mock astonishment. "Of course I earned it myself. Through sweat and blood at my summer jobs, while you guys lazed around on your butts."

"Oh no," Yukari wailed. "Tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do."

"What could be more exciting than sneaking into the night dorms after curfew to take a few pictures of my beloved Ichijo-senpai?" Mari squealed giddily like a little groupie, an act that greatly contradicted her extraordinary beauty.

"I thought you were never gonna say it!" Misaki and Kaoru said in excited unison. Nothing was going to stop these girls now.

"What're we waiting for? Grab your coats and let's go!"

"W-wait!" Yukari called, suddenly sensing three pairs of eyes on her.

_What should I do? I can't tell them that the night class students are vampires, they'll never believe me._

"Uh," Yukari looked around, opened one of the drawers and took a hand-sized object out. "Here, bring this."

The three girls stared at Yukari. "A…cross?"

"Yeah. I think I read somewhere that these things repel vampires…" Yukari said hesitantly.

"Yukari, you do know that we were just joking about the night class being vampires, right?" Misaki said. "And besides, there are crosses everywhere in this school. I think if it repelled the night class they'd be long gone by now."

Yukari hesitated. What Misaki said was true, and the cross was just a souvenir she bought at a gift shop on one of her field trips. But it was very expensive, and well-equipped, too. The cross had a hidden dagger that shoots out at the ends if it was pressed at the right spot. And there was holy water encased within it. Yukari was pretty sure Cross Academy didn't use holy water for plumbing.

"Fine," Yukari huffed. "If you won't bring it, it I'll bring it. For protection. It has a hidden dagger, so it can be used as a weapon, too."

Mari, Misaki and Kaoru stared at Yukari like she was speaking in alien language. But in the end, the three decided to entertain Yukari and let her bring the cross. After all, no one wanted to have Yukari turn back to her previous state, no matter how much more sane she seemed back then.

xxxxx

In order to reach the night dormitories, the girls had to avoid being caught by the prefects. This pretty much meant to just avoid Yuki, because she actually maintained a consistent attendance in her duties, while Zero was known for slacking off in his. The watchtower, which was situated just at the edge of the courtyard connecting the day and night class buildings together, was occupied on one side by Yuki and another side by Zero. The girls quietly looped around the outer perimeter of the courtyard, hidden by greenery and flowers, and finally reached the side of the tower where Zero patrolled at. Just as suspected, Zero was no where to be seen. The girls ran to the watchtower, walked against the walls, and ran again into the woods on other side of the courtyard, where they changed direction yet again. Finally, after a series of twists and turns and sneaking around, the girls reached the safety zone of the night class buildings and began to navigate their ways to the dormitories. It was clear, from Mari's flawless leadership in all these confusing directions, that she had been planning this trip for a while.

The four girls walked along the wall that separated them from the night dorms with crouched backs, hidden by the shadows of the dark sky.

"Um, Yukari?" Misaki whispered. "I was just wondering… why are we all behind you? We're on campus. It's not like we're going to get attacked by anything."

"You never know!" Yukari whispered at the three girls behind her, remembering the horrors she witnessed last night. "Anyway, what ever you do, stay behind me. I'm the one with the weapon."

Even though Yukari couldn't see them, she could tell they were rolling their eyes.

"Hey guys," Yukari whispered as they slowly advanced on the now visible gate. "Why're we even going to the night class students' dorm? They're probably all in class by now!"

"Exactly," Mari whispered back with excitement. "We could sneak into Ichijo-senpai's room and…Oh, I can't wait!"

Yukari sweat dropped at Mari's outburst. Yukari felt like she didn't even know her best friend whenever this Ichijo came up.

"We're here." Yukari announced as they stopped in front of the dormitory gates. Beyond the grand black gates was a big, pure white building, illuminating a magnificent presence in the moonlight. This building was nothing like the day class's brick-colored, apartment-shaped dormitory. Instead, it looked like a castle, or a neoclassical painting, a place that one would expect rich elite people to live in.

"Ok people, shows over—the gates are shut, so we can't get in." Yukari ushered. "Sad, I know. Now let's get out of here before anyone finds us—"

"Oh no we don't," Mari said. "You and I can easily scale the walls with this." Mari pulled out a coil of rope from her shoulder-bag. "Why do you think I trained so hard on rope-climbing in gym class, hmm?"

Yukari's relief was short lived as it crashed down to the ground.

"Mari, you can't go in there! I heard that gate's electrified at night." Yukari lied.

"You're lying." Mari said with ease. "You're doing that thing where your lower right eyelid twitches."

Mari was right. Yukari could never lie well, because her right eye always twitched funny whenever she lied. The condition started in her childhood or something. "I—I'm not lying!"

"Your eye's twitching again."

"Are you girls lost?"

Suddenly, a low, boyish voice came from behind Yukari. She spun around in surprise, and saw two extremely attractive boys in night class uniforms. But they didn't look like good news to Yukari, especially with their gleaming, toothy smiles.

Mari and co. began to ruffle their skirts and straightening out their hair.

"Are you trying to get inside? We can help you." The boys, one red head and one blond, carried an angelic smile that could make a hundred girls swoon.

"No, thank you," Yukari said. "We're just about to leave, you see—"

"Please let us in. We just wanted to snap a few pictures for the day-class newspaper," Mari cut in with determination. "We're the newspaper committee, you see, and we're working overtime. We hope you don't mind our intrusion." She said in an elevated, professional voice.

Mari and Yukari were probably the only girls stubborn enough to give each other glares while talking to night class students. Misaki and Kaoru remained where they were, staring dreamily at the night class boys.

"Well, if you're here on official business, then I don't see why not." The blond boy said, and the gates opened with a simple flick of his hand.

Yukari Mari a look as they went through the gates. Yukari could feel Kaoru and Masaki tense up, deciding weather to follow or not. Finally they began to move forward.

"Mari," Yukari whispered in a pleading voice as she caught up with her. "We have to get out of here."

"No, Kari. I'll prove to you that you don't have anything to be scared of. And I'm just so close to Ichijo-senpai's room!" Mari squealed, reverting back to fan girl mode.

Yukari slapped herself mentally in the head. She knew coming here was a bad idea—but she can't just run away and leave her friends here. Remembering about her weapon, she reached behind her, grasping the cross. '_I just hope they don't have any other super-human abilities besides being able to stomach blood_', Yukari thought.

The girls, again with Yukari in the front, followed the night class students down into a long, wide corridor. The space was illuminated in white lights that lined the walls, and the walls were interrupted with doors labeled as 'lounge room' or 'study room'. The floor was covered with a carpet so luxurious looking that it was almost criminal to walk on it. But despite of its numerous rooms, the corridor felt empty and lifeless.

Suddenly, the night class boys stopped walking.

"Nobody should be able to find us here," said the red haired boy. "I haven't had real human blood in months. I'm starting to tire of this school's regulations."

"Huh?" Misaki squeaked. "Did they say something?" The night class students spoke in such low, breathy voices that Mari, Misaki and Kaoru could barely make out their words. But Yukari, who was right behind the boys, heard them perfectly.

In a flash, the night class students whipped around, just in time for Yukari to catch a glimpse of their eyes—blood red.

Yukari flinched at the maliciousness reflected in those eyes. She felt her stomach sink again, only this time, there was nothing to weigh it down. As if everything in her stomach had been emptied out that night on the grass, she felt hollow and sick, her stomach twisting knots in warning. Yukari fumbled for her cross to no avail. '_Where is it?_'

_Curses!_ Yukari swore mentally. Driven to desperation, Yukari decided to scream as loud as she can. But just as she was about to open her mouth, she heard Mari's voice.

"Ichijo-senpai!" Mari cried, her voice filled with astonishment andexcitement.

_Where—?_ And then, before Yukari could even blink, Takuma Ichijo, the same person who saved Yukari from falling yesterday, appeared behind one of the night class students.

'_When did he get here?_' Yukari thought, stumbling backwards with shock. The two night class students seemed to be in the same state as Yukari, surprised and stumbling slightly.

"Aki, Miura, bringing day class students here is strictly forbidden." Ichijo delivered his warning with a smile and no visible sign of malice. But then Yukari caught a glimpse of Ichijo's eyes—his normally radiant green orbs turned icy and sharp—and she couldn't help but shudder as chills ran down her spine.

Then, just as fast as it came, the look in Ichijo's eyes was replaced by their usual brightness.

"V-vice president!" the two students stuttered in shock and…fear?

"Come down to the office later. Now go." Ichijo said.

The two quickly disappeared and Ichijo turned to address the girls.

"Sorry about that. We all know that day class students are not supposed to be here, but some of us are tempted to break that rule sometimes. It's forbidden for you ladies to be here, you know. You should go back now, or else the headmaster will come, and we wouldn't want that to happen, right?" Ichijo said in his usual cheerful manner.

Yukari's eyes were wide and her body stood frozen. _How could someone change just like that?_

"I-Ichijo-senpai," Mari squeaked. "C-can I have a picture?"

Yukari mentally slapped her forehead, again. _I can't believe Mari's still thinking about pictures at this point!_, she thought.

Suddenly, Yukari's hand dug deep inside her skit and she felt her cross, digging into her hip. Then, Yukari did the stupidest thing she had ever done in her life. From a mixture of shock and instinctive defense-mechanisms, she took a step back, lowered her head, and thrust the cross up into Ichijo's direction, shouting:

"Vampire vampire vampire! Be gone!"

A long, stiffening silence hung in the air. Nobody said anything. A pin could drop on the floor and the sound would be as loud as a bell.

For a moment nobody said anything. Cautiously, Yukari raised her head and saw Ichijo staring straight at her. Then she heard Mari groan.

"Oh, no, Yukari. No, no, no…"

_There's no effect. It doesn't work._

Yukari hastily pulled her cross back, realizing her mistake.

"Um, we should go now," Mari said, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry for the disturbance." She shot Yukari a look.

Crosses don't work against vampires, or at least the night class ones. In the back of her mind, Yukari knew that. She knew that, but Ichijo was just so—so—

—_frightening_.

"Hey, wait up—" Yukari turned around to follow her friends, but was suddenly paralyzed by a sudden, icy hand placed on her shoulder.

_Oh fudges._

"You ladies won't mind if I borrowed her for a moment, would you?" Ichijo said.

Yukari looked up at his face in dread. Ichijo, in his cheerful and stunning glory, had a smile that most people would find pleasant or even reassuring. But as Yukari felt his hand on her shoulder, she could only imagine wild scenarios of what was going to happen to her. With her imagination running wild, Yukari was freaking out.

_He knows that I know!_ She panicked. _He's going to sell me into the slave trade! Or make me into dog food! Or—_Yukari blanched at the possibility_—turn me into vampire food! _

"No, Mari, wait—" Yukari began.

Sensing Yukari's distress, Mari began to say something, but her mouth was quickly covered by Misaki and Kaoru's hands.

"Please borrow her as long as you want!" they said giddily, too mesmerized in Ichijo's radiance and excited by the fact that **the** Ichijo Takuma could be interested in their friend. Soon, a protesting Mari was dragged out of sight and Ichijo and Yukari were alone.

"If you don't mind, let's talk in the study room," Ichijo said. Yukari could only utter a rigid 'uh-huh' as she was led down the hall and past two closed doors labeled 'study room'. As she entered the room, Yukari immediately felt a change in the atmosphere. Against the right wall of the room was a big fireplace, nourishing cackling fire that provided the room with a warm orange glow. A big mahogany desk topped with neat stacks of paper and pens lay across the entrance. A circular carpet lay on the floor in the center of the room, with two long, leather pleated sofas situated on either sides of the carpet. The left wall was replaced with shelves filled with antique-looking books. The room felt antique and European, giving off a warm, nostalgic feel.

But Yukari, whose life was possibly in danger, did not feel comfortable at all. Ichijo walked up to the desk and turned around to face Yukari, who was standing on the carpet in the center of the room. Her legs were locked into straight lines and her hands were behind her back, fingers entwined together in a tight, sweaty fit.

"Oh, please don't feel so nervous," Ichijo said upon seeing Yukari's stance. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you here."

_Uh-huh. Sure._ Yukari thought.

"My name is Ichijo Takuma. Would you mind telling me your name?" Ichijo said, as if everyone on campus didn't know his name already.

"Yukari Shiina." There was no point in lying. If Yukari told him her real name then her family might be able to find her when she's sold.

"And what made you come to the night dormitory so late, Ms. Shiina?"

"Uh… to take pictures for the school newspapers." Yukari felt her right eye twitch.

"They make you come out at this hour just for that? How unfair." Ichijo said in a whole-hearted, sympathizing tone.

"Ha ha," Yukari laughed nervously. "Well, it is hard work."

"Now, this vampire thing you mentioned earlier—"

"Look, it's the headmaster!" Yukari pointed to the window behind Ichijo and sprinted for the exit. But, before she even reached the doors, Ichijo was there, blocking her escape.

"Ack!" Yukari exclaimed as she stumbled backwards. _How did he get here so fast? I didn't even see him move!_

"How's your knee, Ms. Shiina?" Ichijo asked with the smile that was becoming all too familiar to Yukari. Then, Ichijo raised his hand, holding a small, square white object.

Yukari gasped. "You took my band aid! When—"

"So you know our secret, huh?" Ichijo said, dropping his previous façade of benightedness. "I think I'm going to have to report this to the headmaster, even though I'd really hate to." he said with a small pout. His emerald eyes, which seemed to glisten in the firelight, formed a troubled expression.

"What are you going to do to me?" Yukari asked. _This is it_, she thought. _The gig is up._ The feelings of apprehension and fear filled Yukari just like last night, and she could feel her legs turn to jello. But she refused to show weakness. "What happened to those girls last night? And Yuki?"

"Ah. Is that how you figured us out?" The reflection of the orange fire glow against Ichijo's face gave him a look of softness and warmth. For a moment, Yukari had the suspicion that Ichijo's face was permanently set to always appear kind. Then she remembered his encounter with the two night class students.

"Nothing major will happen. People who discover the night class' identities usually just have memories erased."

"Huh?" Yukari stared at Ichijo. "That's it? I won't get sold or become dog food?"

For a fraction of a second, Ichijo looked like he was going to burst into laughter. "No, but…" A moment of hesitation. "In the worst case scenario, you will be expelled."

"Expelled?" Yukari exclaimed, the word sending alarms ringing in her head. "I can't be expelled! My family is so poor, and they're relying on me to graduate from a good school and get a good job. Not after I worked so hard on getting this scholarship. Being expelled is like…even worse than being sold! Please, please don't expel me—I promise, _I promise_ I'll never tell anyone your secret," Yukari pleaded.

Then, in that moment, an idea struck Yukari. "One month! If I can go for one month without telling anyone, let me stay. If not, then you can expel me."

Ichijo put a hand to his temple, looking troubled. "You're making this really difficult for me, Ms. Shiina."

"I—I meant to say one year! I mean four years—I mean for the rest of my life," Yukari said hastily, her mind swirling with anxiety.

"Alright," Ichijo said, with that expression where he looks like he's going to burst into laughter again. "On one condition—don't tell anyone what happened. You and your friends and I were never here tonight."

Yukari sort of gawked at him for a moment as she processed that Ichijo had just accepted her ridiculous proposal. Then, a huge wave of relief washed over her. "Oh, well, that's easy! I'm so relieved, I would hug you right now if you were Mari."

Then, Ichijo began to laugh out loud. "Would you really?" He said. "Alright, then."

Suddenly, Yukari felt blood rush to her head as the world spun on its axis. When she finally regained her composure, she found herself lifted off the ground and, once again, in Ichijo's arms. He was carrying her, and she had no idea why.

"On aboard the Takuma express!" Ichijo said childishly and Yukari saw the world woosh by in a blur and felt cold air breeze across her body.

"Ack!" she yelled as she felt her body move and clung to Ichijo for much needed leverage. "_What are you doing?_" Yukari yelled over the defening wind current.

I'm walking you back," Ichijo answered in a clear voice.

"You're **carrying** me back!" Yukari countered as her vision began to swirl.

"But it's already so late at night. What would I do if you were attacked?"

"M-Mari went back and she was fine," Yukari yelled, confused at how she could hear Ichijo over the rush of air and he didn't even raise his voice.

"She went back with two other girls."

"Wha—how does that change anything?" Strangely, even tough Ichijo was moving so fast, Yukari couldn't feel any bumps and vibrations that accompany a walking person. Instead, Yukari's ride was completely smooth, as if Ichijo's feet were sliding across the ground.

Finally, Ichijo stopped and eased Yukari back onto the ground.

"Wha—we're here already?" Yukari asked, shaking her head a little to clear out the swirls in her vision.

"I'm a fast walker," Ichijo said. Then he paused.

"…You know... you're exactly like how I imagined you would be." He said, in a tone slightly lower than his usual voice.

"Huh?" Yukari said. Was it just her, or did the atmosphere change all of a sudden?

As her vision finally cleared, Yukari noticed that she was already in front of the day class dormitory building. She scanned her surroundings looking for Ichijo, but saw nothing but an empty, moon-lit pathway.

He was gone.

xxxxx


	4. Admirable

Hi readers! Arashikishu000 here, at your service. Thank you for tuning in for the fourth chapter of _Thist_. And thank you so much for your reviews…they honestly transform my day from bearable to fantastic. Ha ha. Of course, constructive critism is always welcome as well. But other than that, let's get on to the fourth chapter of _Thrist_!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. Do I have to do one of these for every chapter?

xxxxx

**4: Admirable**

To say the Cross Academy library was big would be an understatement of its size. As one of the school's largest rooms, the library's width out-measures a football field and its length is easily two fields long. The two-story library had an extraordinarily high ceiling that caves into itself, resembling a dome. The first floor, which is primarily used for studying, has twin rows of long desks situated on either sides of the library, with a long walkway in the middle of the room. The walls adjacent to the desks were complimented with tall glass windows engraved with cross-shaped panels, spilling floods of natural daylight into the room. Located in the back of the library are two spiraling stairways that lead to higher elevations. The second floor contains countless stashes novels, encyclopedias, research material, and even romance manga. You name it, they have it.

The library was comfortable, quiet, and filled with bright young minds seeking to stuff themselves with knowledge. It was the perfect place to study in…not somewhere one would want to go on a Saturday morning.

"Yukari," Mari said as Yukari skimmed the book shelves. "Today is Saturday. One of the only day-offs we get in the week, and you're going to spend it at the _library_?"

"Well, it's only ten o'clock, right?" Yukari said as she added a book to the growing pile in her arms. "I'm not planning to spend the entire day here. Just the morning."

"Yeah. And we're the only people in this place." Mari said, pointing out their silent and empty surroundings. "What's this?" Mari enquired the latest book in Yukari's stash. "_The History of Vampire Mythology_?"

"Yeah, I thought I could do a little research on vampires. It's pretty interesting once you check it out."

"Um, Kari, if you're really going to research on it, why don't you try the non-fiction category?"

"I did!" Yukari said as she walked down the stairs to the first floor. "But I can't find anything on vampires." '_Of course. The school want to keep vampires—real vampires—a secret from us_.'

"You don't say," Mari lolled, rolling her eyes. "Trust me, if a book exists, this library's going to have it. It's probably hidden somewhere in the back or something. Here, I'll find it for you."

"Oh, you don't have to—Mari!" Yukari called out a second too late, for Mari was already running to the back corner of the library.

It's been three days since the incident with Ichijo occurred, and Yukari still hasn't been called to the office yet, which means that Ichijo, so far, has kept his word. But Misaki and Kaoru weren't as lucky as her. Yukari heard, after Misaki and Kaoru dragged Mari back to their dorms that night, that Mari unleashed her fury on them; yelling things about 'how could they abandon Yukari like that' and 'what if Yukari got suspended for us'. Yukari closed her eyes as she remembered that night.

_"Kari, there you are!" Mari exclaimed when she saw Yukari in the doorway. "I tried to go back to get you, but I was stopped by Misaki and Kaoru—those idiots! Are you alright? What happened?"_

_Yukari was momentarily speechless. "You're still awake? It's like one in the morning!" _

"_Well, yeah, I was waiting for you, idiot! I swear, if you came back five minutes later, I would've called the dormitory manager. Then you would've been expelled for sure."_

Yes, Mari could be really scary sometimes, but when it came down to it, she was a great friend.

Yukari smiled as she sat down and cracked a book open.

"Vampires are blood-sucking creatures disguised in human forms," She began to read. "They possess abnormally beautiful appearances, superior intellect, and elongated life spans. All these characteristics contribute to their success in luring in and feeding on human beings and these traits are maintained by the very blood they consume…" Yukari paused, a frown on her face. '_If the night class students are vampires, then where do they get their blood from?_'

Yukari gasped. '_Could it be…that the Headmaster is also a vampire and he enrolled us to be his personal vampire food?_' Dark clouds began to form over her head as a shadow of doom fell over her eyes. Yukari's mind kicked into overdrive, filling with imaginative conspiracies that involved the Headmaster and the night class students and the poor day class students as a giant blood bank. Yukari could hear the ominous cracks of thunder roar as her head began to be filled with horrific theories—

"Yukari, don't go imagining crazy theories and jumping to unrealistic conclusions again."

Yukari looked up to see Mari, this time with an arm's length's of hardcover books. "You can read minds, Mari?" she asked in astonishment.

"No. I just can tell by your expression that you're thinking something absurd again." Mari said as she sat down next to Yukari and flipped open one of her books.

"Hey Kari, look at this," Mari said. Yukari looked over and saw a picture of an intricate crest shaped tattoo with loads of text below it. The pages looked old and worn, and the letters were printed in outdated fonts. "The Transformation Tattoo," Mari began reading. "is an ancient method used by vampire hunters to tame and capture rampant vampires. The tattoo is also often used on level D vampires to slow their disintegration to level E vampires. This requires a specific charm that works in pair with the tattoo; in this case, the tattoo, which is printed on an exposed area of the subject's skin, is pressed onto the charm, resulting in the subject's paralysis…"

Yukari's mouth formed an 'O' as she marveled at the foreign information. "Mari, where'd you get this book? It's gold!"

"In a small closet-space in the back of the storage room." Mari said, her eyes still focused wide on the page. "I don't know for sure, but I think I saw this tattoo somewhere before…"

"Wait, the storage room?" Yukari asked in disbelief. "Isn't that the room locked with over ten locks? The forbidden room that no one is supposed to enter? I don't even think the staff members are allowed in there."

Mari peered at Yukari with devious eyes. "It's not locked when you have the key." She said, pulling three disfigured hairpins out from her pocket. "And that's not all. I have a whole lock-breaking kit in my bag."

"Mari, you officially rock!" Yukari exclaimed, ignoring the fact that Mari had an illegal set of lock-breaking kit in her backpack, and began to sort through the pile of books.

xxxxx

"I can't find my student ID card." Yukari said, a dismayed expression crossing her face as she palmed her empty pockets.

It was already six o clock p.m., and the library was closing down soon. Mari had already left, saying she had to attend some Ichijo fan-club meeting. Yukari now stood in front of the checkout counter with a backpack filled with smuggled storage-room books and another arms full of library books.

"I'm sorry, but you can't borrow books without your student identification card," the librarian said. "I can check you out on your student number, but you can only have one book."

Yukari sighed. Where was her student ID card? It was still in her pocket just yesterday morning…

'_Did I misplace it? No, I never lose important things like this. Drop it somewhere? No, that's impossible. My pocket was zipped up, so it couldn't have fallen out, even when I was being carried by Ichijo…wait a minute.' _Yukari was struck by a sudden realization. _'Did he…? No, that's impossible…' _But Yukari knew it was definitely not impossible. She wasn't sure if vampires had any other supernatural abilities (they probably did), but she knew that they were lightning fast. If Ichijo could run from the night dorms to the day dorms in less than thirty seconds with a hundred-fifteen pound load in his arms, then he could definitely take Yukari's ID card in a split second. '_But why would he…?_' The concept that Ichijo took Yukari's card was bizarre, but Yukari couldn't think of any other place her card was. '_What could've even motivated him to do it? _'

"Man!" Yukari exclaimed in frustration. '_I need to get my ID back, or else I wouldn't be able to leave school campuses for the rest of my high school career_.'

Finally, Yukari exited the library with a worried heart. Her footsteps echoed down the unusually empty hallway, probably because everyone were either out in the town shopping, or attending fan club meetings. She reached the grassy field that led to the dormitories. Yukari inhaled the cold, moist evening air and walked across the slightly soggy field, not bothering to use the cement walkway.

"Hmm…" Yukari said as she inhaled a lungful of fresh air. Her legs began to move faster, and in minutes Yukari was running across the field, losing herself in the cool wind against across her cheeks, her body, of almost flying—when she smashed into another body.

"Oof!"

"Oh, sorry!" a feminine voice called out. Yukari had crashed into the school prefect, Yuki Cross.

"Oh no, it was my fault. I was the one who ran into you," Yukari said as she scanned the ground in panic, looking for the book she dropped. Unfortunately, Yuki grasped it the minute Yukari spotted it.

"_Controversies of Vampires in History_…vampire?" Yuki asked as she handed the book to Yukari, her eyes wide with surprise and…alarm?

"Um, I got that from the library. Vampires are pretty interesting. Too bad they're not real, though!" Yukari laughed nervously, her mind flashing to the night when she saw Yuki get bitten. '_She knows about the night class,_' she concluded. '_Stay calm. Don't let her suspect you._'

"Of course they're not!" Yuki said, even more flustered now. "Well, I should go now. It was nice meeting you, um…"

"It's Yukari. Yukari Shiina." Yukari said.

"Yukari-san." Yuki concluded and walked away.

Yukari looked at Yuki's retreating figure. Suddenly, the hem of Yuki's jacket flew up under the wind and revealed a metallic, rectangular object tucked into the belt of Yuki's skirt. Yukari's mind instantly flashed back to that night, when she saw Zero aim the exact same object towards the night class student's head.

'_It's a gun,_' Yukari thought as she gulped. So the prefects are more than peacemakers between the day class and night class. '_They're our guardians. They're here to protect our lives_.'

_Protect us from the night class_.

An image of Ichijo's smiling face flashed across Yukari's mind. She rapidly shook her head and ran towards the opposite direction of Yuki's gun.

xxxxx

Yukari squinted as she tried to adjust to the darkness of the night. Trying to make as less noise as possible, she scaled up the tree, jumping from trunk to trunk, swatting leaves out of her sight. Finally, Yukari broke free of the mass of greenery as she edged down a long trunk, allowing spill of moonlight to illuminate her sight. Yukari came face to face with the wall that surrounded the night class dormitories. She was so high up the ground that she was level with the top of the wall. With a careful, calculated jump, Yukari could leap from her current position onto the wall, and then somehow into the night class dormitories.

'_Ok Yukari. You've already snuck all the way here, so there's no turning back now. This is for being able to take trips around town on Sundays. For being able to borrow manga from the library. This is for my student ID!_'

After spending the entire afternoon weighing the pros and cons, Yukari decided that her ID must be with Ichijo. So now she's perched on a tree outside the night class dormitories, risking her life to get it back. After all, it was too expensive for Yukari to afford a replacement. She certainly could not just get a hold of Ichijo and ask him for it (apparently, day class students and night class students weren't supposed to interact with one another outside of holiday events), and she couldn't bear live the rest of her high school career in Cross Academy. So Yukari decided to sneak into the night class dorms and ask Ichijo for it herself. Surely, the other night class students would understand, right?

"Shoot!" Yukari hissed when she felt her hair snag on a twig. It was a good thing she wore shorts under her skit. Otherwise, she would've ended up with scratch marks on her thighs—very uncomfortable.

Now Yukari was at the edge of the tree trunk with just a slight distance between herself and the wall. Taking a deep breath, she leaped from the trunk and landed square on the top of the wall. '_Thank goodness for those high jump lessons in track,_' Yukari thought. Yukari noticed a line of gigantic trees at the back end of the dorms. She could jump on the trees and then jump into one of the dorm windows from there. She just hoped the at least one of the windows were open.

After skitting cautiously across wall, Yukari finally reached the row of trees that extended to an open window. With courage, training and perhaps stupidity, Yukari leaped, scaled, and clambered from one tree to the next until she jumped to the final tree.

"Ah!" Yukari exclaimed as she slipped off a trunk. Her arms coiled in a death grip around the trunk just in time and, with her legs kicking frantically against the tree, Yukari pulled herself to safety. Breathing heavily, she peered at the dark window that she was going to jump into. The distance between Yukari and the window was by far the largest this night, but she could make it if she positioned her body just right.

"Alright, now or never," Yukari whispered in determination. After taking deep breaths and grinding her feet into the trunk in preparation, Yukari jumped.

She felt surreal as she traveled in the air, inaudible wind blowing across her extended form. Yukari could barely comprehend that she was flying at least three stories off the ground. It felt as if time had slowed down ten-folds. Then she realized that she was diving headfirst through the window, and twisted her body just before her head hit the floor.

Yukari landed on the floor with a _thump!_

"Ow!" she uttered before she quickly silenced herself. Yukari had landed right on her butt.

She got up slowly, rubbing her back. The room she landed in was at least twice the size of the room she and Mari shared. The walls were pure white, and strewn about the room was a queen sized bed, an old desk, a giant cluster of books, and…a long katana sword perched against the wall. It must be valuable, because it looked sleek and lithe and screamed danger.

'_Huh, I must be in someone's room,_' Yukari thought. '_So this is what a vampire's room looks like…_' Somehow, the room seemed unsettling. Too empty, too formal to be a bedroom.

'_There's no CDs here, no posters on the wall, no dirty clothes on the floor, no…wait, is that manga?_' Yukari's eyes instantly lit up when she spotted her favorite kind of book.

'_Woah!_' she exclaimed in her mind, completely forgetting the fact that she was invading a vampire's bedroom. '_Is this what I think it is? The latest, limited edition? It is!_' With quivering hands, Yukari picked up the book.

'_I can't believe I have this in my hand. There's only eight copies of this printed in the world!_'

"Is sneaking into people's private room your hobby, Yukari Shiina?" a masculine voice echoed from the doorway, prompting Yukari to whip around in surprise. Suddenly, Ichijo Takuma stood directly in front of her. The door was closed. Yukari didn't even hear it _open_.

"O-oh, is this your room?" She asked, dumbstruck. '_Just how long has he been standing there?_'

"Yep," Ichijo nodded. His brows furrowed in confusion as he reached for Yukari's hair and pulled out…a leaf?

"…Did you climb the trees to get here?" He said, amazed. "And why are you wearing shorts under your skirt?"

_Busted!_

"Ok—wait, I can explain—"

"You saw my manga collection." Ichijo suddenly said sheepishly, his eyes flickering to the book in Yukari's hand.

'_Is…is he embarrassed?_' Of all the reactions Yukari was anticipating from Ichijo—insulted, at seeing her in his room, or angry, perhaps, at seeing Yukari touching his things— embarrassment was the last. Why _is_ he embarrassed? Because he likes manga? Is that even something to _be_ embarrassed about?

"I'm really sorry for crashing into your room and touching your books," Yukari apologized. "But, as a fellow manga fan, your collection is amazing. I can't believe you even have the limited edition!"

Suddenly, Ichijo's eyes lit up with excitement, not unlike an isolated child who just found a playmate. "You like manga?" He asked.

"Are you kidding? They're my favorite books to read."

"Then you'll love this volume. It has so many twists and turns—I can lend it to you, if you want."

"Seriously?" Yukari exclaimed, not believing her good luck. "Thanks so much. I'll keep it in perfect condition—I mean, no! I'm here to look for my student ID card." Yukari mentally slapped herself for getting so off track. "The last time I remember having it was yesterday, with you. It might have fallen out of my pocket or something. I was wondering if you know where it is…?"

"Ah." Ichijo said as he flicked his hand. And there it was, Yukari's ID card, situated between his index and middle finger. "Is this what you're looking for?"

"That's my card! I—"

Suddenly, Ichijo's palm was pressed against Yukari's lips. His head was turned towards the door as he focused all of his attention towards there, and his shoulders tensed with anticipation, like an animal sensing a foreign intruder.

Finally, Ichijo leaned close to Yukari and whispered. "Sorry, but we can't stay here anymore. There are people here, and there'll be trouble if you're found out." His expression relaxed a bit and he half smiled. "Do you still want this?"

Yukari nodded, her eyes glued to the card held in between his fingers.

"Then follow me."

Yukari gasped as she felt Ichijo's hand envelope hers as he led her to the door. His hand was surprisingly warm, unlike that time in front of the night dorm gates, and big—it enveloped her hand completely.

"Wha—"

Ichijo pressed his finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture. Then, he carefully opened the bedroom door. When Yukari stepped out into the halls, she felt like she had entered another world.

The first thing Yukari noticed was an enormous glass chandelier hanging directly in the middle of the ceiling. It emitted almost glistening shine on the walls and on the wide walkway, which was embedded with a series of gold handrails. Interestingly, the middle of the floor—beyond the railings—consisted of nothing but empty space. Yukari peered over the railing as she followed Ichijo and saw way down what must be the first floor, with comfortable-looking sofas and glass coffee tables. Yukari was definitely more than three stories up, because of how small the first floor looked, and she saw now that the spiraling staircase connected to several other floors as well. Yukari was speechless as she marveled at her surroundings. The night class dormitories looked ten better than the school!

Silently, Ichijo and Yukari traveled up several flights of stairs and into a dark hall before finally reaching a big, metallic door. A cool breeze wooshed over Yukari's body as Ichijo opened the door.

"Right. No one should be able to find us here." Ichijo said as he closed the door behind them. Yukari suddenly faced a broad, star-filled night. They were on the roof of the building. The closest Yukari has ever been to the sky.

"Ichi—Ichijo-senpai," Yukari said. "You dragged me all the way up to…the roof?"

"Well, I can't leave you in the dorms because there are people there, and I certainly can't let you climb out the window and risk breaking your neck." Ichijo answered, a spark of amusement shining in his light green eyes.

"Hey!" Yukari defended. "It's not that strange for people to climb trees, is it? Plenty of girls have tried to scale the gates to get to you, you know?" Yukari defended, an image of Mari flashing through her mind. "So…I'm stuck here until the night class students leave their dorms? What if they don't leave until morning?"

"Well, that's what happens when you sneak into such a dangerous place. But then again, I should expect that of you, right, Shiina?"

"What?" Yukari stumbled. '_He's doing it again. That thing where he talks like he knows me or something_.'

"Can I have my ID—what are you doing?"

Yukari stood in momentary disbelief as Ichijo walked to the center of the roof and lay down flat on his back, closing his eyes. The image of Ichijo—of any night class student—lying on the ground was absurd, paradoxical, even. She certainly couldn't picture Ruka, or even Aido, doing this. But Ichijo never seemed one to follow vampire normalcy.

"Won't you join me?" Ichijo said, gazing at Yukari with faint emerald eyes. "Don't worry, its not dirty," he teased. "We have cleaning service every twenty four hours here. Or was it twenty hours?" He mused.

Suddenly, Yukari broke out into laughter from the shock at Ichijo's actions, and at his absurd humor. "Twenty hours?" She said in between laughs as she walked over to Ichijo. "The Day class dorms only get professional cleaning service once a month!"

"Wow," Yukari gasped when she lay down. Her vision was submerged in a never-ending river of blinking lights that illuminated the obsidian sky. The stars, in a vast expanse of Milky Way, glimmered in the night, animated to life.

"I come here almost every night, just to stare at the sky. It helps me relax." Ichijo said in a low, soothing tone, his voice blending with the breath-taking sight before Yukari.

Even though Yukari couldn't see his face, she knew Ichijo was smiling.

"It's beautiful," Yukari uttered in a breathy voice. She felt like she was in a cocoon of airy night and subtle lights—and Ichijo's voice, Ichijo's presence, consummated the cocoon into an entire other dimension, transported Yukari into another world that she felt herself sinking into—a numbing, peaceful, electrifying fantasy.

A long time passed before Yukari finally snapped out of her trance (Ichijo was right—it _was_ very relaxing.) and became fully aware of Ichijo's existence beside her. Yukari turned her head towards him. His eyes were still closed, and his body looked relaxed—like he looked like he was in a deep, peaceful sleep. She stared at him, fascinated. At Ichijo's character, his vampirism, his everything. The whole notion that vampires existed, that vampires were _real_, and so _close_ to her, never really hit Yukari fully. Until now, when she turned and looked, really _looked_ at Ichijo up-close. All of his features—his beautiful long lashes, his perfect, almost statue-esque symmetrical features, his blemish-less fair skin, his always refined posture—all of Ichijo's features scream that he was different from Yukari. Incomparable. Alien. Yet, Yukari never felt that way when they were together—she was always so relaxed around him, as if he wasn't a vampire, but a just a normal (albiet extremely beautiful) boy.

'But he's not a normal boy. He is a vampire.' Yukari thought as she observed him.

Suddenly, Yukari's eyes met Ichijo's open ones, his face frozen in an expression that she could not define. She didn't even notice him staring at her as she unceremoniously drifted off into her own thoughts.

"What are you thinking?" Ichijo asked in a dream-like, convoluted voice. Yukari could hear the wind breeze against her ears.

"Oh, nothing." '_That you're a complete world apart from me because you're a vampire._'

"Really?" Ichijo replied in a voice that suggested he didn't believe her.

"Well…I do have some questions."

"Questions?" Ichijo's inscrutable expression broke apart and was replaced by his normal, upbeat expression. "About what? Ask me anything you want."

"Really? Ok, you asked for it." Yukari said. "First of all, where do you guys get your food? I mean, you live in a school. You don't…uh…you know…"

"What a daring question!" Ichijo laughed. "We don't eat fellow students, if that's what you mean. But, if you _must_ know… our main source of food is town children who break their curfews and wander the streets at night."

"_What?_" Yukari sprang up in horror. "Are you serious?"

"S-sorry, bad joke." He chuckled, sitting up to face Yukari. "We don't drink blood from an actual human. Our main food source is a vampire-made, chemically-engineered blood compressed into pill tablets. They're called blood tablets. You drop them in water and they will dilute into a liquid that provides the same—and sometimes even more—nutrients found in human blood. They're very convenient, but I can't say the same for the taste." Ichijo made a face.

"Ah," Yukari sighed in relief. "Wow, that is _neat_." She paused. "But unfortunate for you, I guess." Yukari couldn't imagine her own diet being restricted to a couple of pills every day, and from the look on Ichijo's face, the tablets probably didn't even taste good.

"You don't have to answer my next question if you don't want to. My mom used to always get angry when I asked her this." Yukari cautioned. "How old are you?"

Ichijo pursed his lips for a second, carrying an expression of ponder. "Physically, I'm seventeen years old. My real age, however…is confidential."

"C-confidential?" Yukari coughed.

"Hey, believe it or not, I'm very sensitive about my age!" Ichijo pouted.

"So vampires do live for a long time, huh…Lucky you." Yukari laughed it off.

"Ah, before I forget," Ichijo said as he drew an object from his pocket. "I should give this back to you."

"My ID!" Yukari exclaimed as she took the card from Ichijo. He curled his hand up as she took the card, his fingers briefly skidding against her palm.

"Just promise me something," Ichijo said. "Never climb trees to get into my room again. If you want to see me, just come through the front door. Just call for me and I'll let you in."

"But won't the others mind? Besides, We'll be breaking more than fifty school rules if you do that. I think I'm safer climbing trees. Besides, I'm sure lots of other girls did that before." An image of Mari flashed across Yukari's mind.

"Actually, you're the first person I know who actually climbed _trees_ to get into the night dormitories." Ichijo said, a corner of his mouth quirking up in laughter.

'_Is this real?_' Yukari asked herself. '_I'm on the roof of the night class dormitories, laughing with a vampire._' "Hey, can I ask another question?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you agree to my deal the other night? Now that I look back on it, the whole thing really was ridiculous. I mean, I could've just kept the secret for a month and then told someone the very next day—" Yukari stopped when she saw Ichijo staring at her with that same foreign, unrecognizable expression, and mentally slapped herself. "I mean, not that I'll ever do that, you know, I always keep my promises, that's the first thing my mom taught me when I was little—" Yukari blurted in panic.

Ichijo chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't take it like that." He turned his face upwards to face the sky. "Shiina, did you know we—the night class—go to class in the east wing of the school building?"

"Um…" Yukari began, confused at the sudden change of subject.

"I always sit by the window, and I see the entire track field from there. One day, I saw a girl on the track field, running, even though it was twelve-thirty five in the morning. Her form wasn't exactly graceful, as she was slumping and wavering as she ran, and she looked dog-tired. But she still kept on moving for two hours without breaks. As I continued to see her every night and day on that track, I became curious as to why she persevered in something that seemed to drain her so much. Then, one day, I saw her face. Determination. Perseverance. Frustration. Desperation. Joy. This girl enjoyed what she did, and she fought desperately for what she wanted. That was something that I, and a lot of people around me, was never able to—never _had_ to do. And I thought: we could all learn something from her. I admired that girl for it. Before I knew it, I longed to know her." Ichijo faced Yukari. "Yukari, do you know who that girl is?"

Yukari gulped. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as an impossible answer dawned in her brain. Her body, and her mind, was completely frozen by the intensity in Ichijo's gaze.

"Don't look so surprised!" Ichijo burst out suddenly, pouting. The atmosphere, so heavy before, suddenly changed.

"Huh?" Yukari said as she broke herself from his eyes. '_Was just happened?_' She thought. '_Had I been holding my breath the entire time? Wait a minute_—'

"Hold on—you _watched_ me run?" Yukari said as she jumped to her feet.

Ichijo slowly rose, too, and smiled in that same sheepish, caught-red-handed-smile. "Guilty."

"But why—how—just—" Yukari stammered. "I did not give you permission! Is that even legal?" '_Not to mention embarrassing_,' Yukari thought as she felt her face flush bright red.

"I'm sorry. It's not like I can un-see what I already saw." Ichijo said.

"But all that time…you didn't report me." Yukari said. "Why didn't you report me?"

"Because," Ichijo said, his serene eyes locking with Yukari's. "I wanted to see you again."

'_Ah…_'

"I think we should go now, Yukari. The others are gone now. Come on," Ichijo offered her his hand. "Yukari?"

Yukari stared at Ichijo, and then at his outstretched hand, and took a deep breath. "Ichijo-senpai," She began. "You're not a vampire."

"Huh?" Ichijo's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're kind and nice and not like the other night class students who are so hard to approach. You always go out of your way to help me out of messy situations, and you put up with me and answer my questions. I don't even think some day class students are willing to do that! And besides, you don't kill people to drink their blood." Yukari exhaled. "You're relatable, and I like spending time with you. When I'm with you, I always forget you're a vampire." Yukari smiled. "I think I admire you, too."

For the first time, Ichijo seemed dumbstruck as he stared at Yukari with wide eyes. "Oh…" He finally said as he turned his head so Yukari couldn't see his face. Was it just her imagination, or was Ichijo blushing?

"Th-thank you."

"No problem!" Yukari laughed. '_So vampires get flustered at compliments too, huh?_'

_Maybe vampires are not so bad after all._

_Maybe._

xxxxx


	5. Horror

Hello, Arashikishu000 here, presenting you with the next chapter of _Thirst_. Beware that the following contain teenage girl angst, high school drama, extremely sick school prefects, and bloody bathrooms…basically, everything good and wonderful in a teenage girl's life :D

Disclaimer: Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I do not own Vampire Knight.

xxxxx

**5: Horror**

Yukari's lips twisted into a grimace as she stared down at the blank sheets of papers. She huffed in defeat and slung back in her chair. Light from the setting sun trickled through the windows, setting an orange hue to the broad, empty classroom. The after-school bell had rung long ago, but Yukari, as a punishment for being thirty minutes late for class this morning, had to stay after school and write essays on the morals of punctuality.

Yukari groaned as she recalled _why_ she had been late in the first place, the things that happened last night.

"_Hey, I'm back from track." Yukari said as she stepped into her room. "Mari?"_

_Mari, who was writing something on the table, turned around to face Yukari. Her brows were furrowed, her aqua eyes shone with hurt, and she her usually pouty mouth was twisted into a thin line, like she was clenching her teeth. _

_Instantly, Yukari felt like a child who had been caught steeling candy from a strictly forbidden candy jar. "Mari? What's wrong?"_

_Mari not-quite-glared-at her for a couple more seconds and turned around to her desk. Yukari stared at her back in silence._

_After several failed attempts at conversation, Yukari gave up and trudged to the washroom to take a shower. By the time she got back, Mari was already in bed. _

_The next morning, Yukari woke up peacefully, for the first time in forever, until she saw her clock. 8:02 a.m. Yukari bolted to class fast, but by the time she got there, she was already late, and had to endure a lecture by the irate teacher in front of the entire class. But, during the ordeal, Yukari didn't feel embarrassed (as she very much should have), or even angry, for her eyes were trained on Mari, who stared down at her textbook and refused to meet Yukari's eyes. _

_By break, Yukari had had enough of Mari's could shoulder and dragged Mari to a corner of the classroom._

"_Why are you avoiding me?" Yukari confronted her. "Did I—did I do something wrong?"_

"_No." Mari said, her eyes trained to the window behind Yukari. "It's nothing."_

"_You're lying." Yukari ground out, pain spilling from her voice. _

"_Apparently it's ok for friends to lie to one another, huh?" Finally, Mari faced Yukari, and Yukari saw what she had been hiding all morning: accusation, betrayal, and barely-concealed pain etched on her face. In that moment, Yukari realized exactly what Mari was so upset about._

"_Oh Mari—please don't—there's nothing going on with Ichijo and I."_

"_Yeah? Then why did you lie to me? So much for track, huh? You were actually meeting him in secret!" _

_Yukari felt like she'd been punched in the chest. "I only told you that to prevent you from coming to the wrong conclusions. There's __**nothing**__ going on between Ichijo and I, I promise. He…he walked with me yesterday because…" Yukari didn't know why Ichijo walked her yesterday. Ichijo followed her when she stepped out of the night dormitory gates and neither one of them felt like objecting, or even questioning it. "P-probably to protect me from danger. It was late."_

"_Protect you? From what? Cross Academy's the safest place on earth!" Yukari cringed. "He's never walked with any other girl like that. So alone. So…intimate," Mari whispered, the fury in her voice replaced with a wavering vulnerability that twisted the daggers in Yukari's heart. _

"_Mari," Yukari shut her eyes. For some reason, she couldn't stand to meet Mari's eyes right now. "It's not like that. Ichijo…he did what he did because he's nice, that's all. I bet if you were in my position, he'd treat you the same way."_

"_Ok, Yukari." Mari said, her tone unwavering. "Ok."_

"_Mari, I'm telling you, there's nothing going on between us!" Yukari stressed. "Please believe me." Please be my best friend again. _

_Mari stared at Yukari for a long moment. Unable to bear Mari's scrutiny, Yukari looked at the floor. "Ok, Kari." Yukari brightened at Mari's use of her old nickname. "You know what? I'm over-reacting. If you say there's nothing between you guys, then it's true." Mari smiled her usual smile. "You're my best friend, after all. I know I can trust you."_

"_See?" Yukari said. The knife still was lodged in her heart. "But Mari…you didn't…"_

"_Report you?"_

_Yukari nodded. _

"_Why would I do that when there's nothing between you and him?"_

"Ooh," Yukari groaned. '_When did my life get so complicated?_'

Sometime during Yukari's reminisce, the sun had set and the sky had transformed from warm orange to creeping baby blue. '_Those girls are probably rushing over to the night dormitory gates right now_.' Yukari thought. '_Soon, the gates will open, and the screams will start yet again. And Mari will be there, disappearing in a mass of shrieking girls. Assimilated. Reduced. Just another shrieking girl among a million.'_

Yukari remembered a time when Mari used to scoff at over-the-top fan-girls, calling them delirious and foolish ("_Why are they wasting their time like that? Do they actually think they're going to end up with the people they want_?"). Yukari loved Mari's outspoken and dauntless ways, but whenever it came to Ichijo (or, in Mari's case, "Ichijo-_senpai_"), Mari became a whole different person.

'_She must like him a lot, then'_ Yukari thought. A coil of suffocating weight settled over Yukari's chest. '_Why am I feeling this way_?' Yukari thought, frustrated. '_It's not like Ichijo and I were doing anything suspicious_!' But, bizzarely enough, Yukari herself did not believe in that statement. Subconsciously, Yukari must have realized that Ichijo treated her at least a little bit different—_better_—than other girls. That's why she was feeling so guilty now…and…

Yukari felt a surge of warmth rush through her body as she remembered Ichijo's laughter, his warm eyes focused on her.

…happy?

"Argh! What's happening to me? Why are you getting happy at making your best friend suffer?" Yukari exclaimed, banging her head against the desk. Yukari raised her head to see the crumpled papers stared eerily back at her, reflecting the disorder that ran rampant in her mind.

xxxxx

Yukari walked slowly in the hallway of her dormitory, her leg muscles aching in protest from the excruciating track practice she just endured. Yukari's stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she did not eat anything since lunch. Between the detention essays and the gruelling track practice, Yukari had, miraculously, all together forgotten about food. Until now, when her stomach churned and her entire body creaked in pain.

It was her own fault, anyway. She kept keeping herself on the field until night in an attempt to avoid Mari. She only came back now because Yuki Cross had spotted and ordered her back into the dorm. Before, Yukari would have marvelled at the ridiculousness of such an order. But now, when she was aware of the hidden dangers lurking in her school—especially at night—Yukari understood Yuki's warning perfectly.

Yukari frowned at the memory. Yuki didn't look good at all. Her skin appeared a shade of sickly pale in the night, and her eyes were sullen over large black bags. These days, Yuki always looked a little tired, but tonight she looked like a malnourished kid that didn't sleep for days. And yet Yuki was still upholding her duty as the school guardian. Was being a school prefect really that hard?

'_It must be because she's always doing double duty in place of Zero Kiryu_,' Yukari thought, frowning slightly. Where was he all the time, anyway? Why the heck did he always leave Yuki to take on his burdens?

"I'm back," Yukari mumbled drowsily as she opened the door. She heard a rustle and spotted Mari hastily turning around with her hands behind her back. "Yukari! Didn't know you were gonna be back so soon," Mari said a little too loud, her left brow twitching unsettlingly. Her eyes screamed that she had been caught red-handed.

"Um…Mari? What are you doing?" Yukari said as fatigue slowly eroded into suspicion. "Why are you dressed like that? And what are you hiding behind you?" Mari's red hair was tucked into a faded-yellow hat, and she wore a jumpsuit and sneakers of the same colour. She was monotonous from head to toe. Now, Yukari may not qualify for a fashion police, but she knew that looking like a yellow Popsicle was not appealing.

"I'm just…er—I was—Ugh." Mari groaned, her shoulders slouching in defeat. "I'm busted, aren't I?"

"Um…" Yukari marvelled at the ridiculous sight. "Yeah."

"'Kay, this isn't what you think. I don't have a fetish or whatever." Mari said, cautiously pulling her hands out for Yukari to see. Mari was holding a bunch of long, skinny metal rods, all with differing tips, connected by a giant ring. It was like a blown-up keychain, except the keys weren't keys. They were…

"Mari! Are you planning to—"

"Yes!" Mari exclaimed with vigour. "I'm going to break into the headmaster's room."

"_Why_?" Yukari asked, unable to put a reason to do suck a pointless and dangerous thing.

"To get Ichijo-senpai's personal files, of course."

"W-What?" Yukari sputtered. Of course. This was _Mari_. What other purpose could she have? "You can't! Absolutely not!" Yukari uttered in panic, remembering Ichijo's vampirism.

"Why can't I?" Mari said, a little angry at being commanded. "Yukari, the talk we had this morning really made me realize something important. I know he's not dating anyone on campus—and don't ask me how I know that. What if Ichijo-senpai has a sweetheart that we don't know about? Like, a fiancée, or something? What if he's the same as Hijikari Minase?"

Hijikari Minase was a night class student who temporarily left the academy for two months last year. Yukari vaguely remembered something about hoards of Minase fan club members bawling their eyes out around the time he came back. It turned out that Minase had left to look after his sick fiancée, of whom no one knew about.

Yukari saw the fierce determination glistening in Mari's eyes. Nothing could stop her now.

"Fine then. I'm coming with you."

At Yukari's surprising words, Mari's fighting spirit deflated a little. "Why? Aren't you going to try to stop me?"

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Mari, I know you well enough to know that you're not gonna be convinced tonight. So I'll do the next best thing—to go with you and make sure you don't get caught. Two people's always better than one, right?" '_Oh, and I'm going to stop you from getting Ichijo's file._' Yukari thought, a little guilt resurfacing in her chest.

Mari huffed and smiled, casting Yukari her signature side-glance smirk. Yukari's heart almost leaped in joy at the sight of her best friend's classic gesture. Yukari had expected Mari to still hold a grudge about last night, but now Mari was acting like nothing had happened at all. She didn't know why Mari was like this, but she welcomed it with open arms. "Alright, Kari. Where this." Mari threw a pair of yellow jumpsuits toward Yukari. "Remember, you got yourself into this."

'_She called me by my nick-name!_' Yukari mentally cried tears of joy. A moment later, both girls were tip-toeing sneakily out the door.

xxxxx

Now Yukari knew why Mari chose faded yellow as their attire. The third floor walls were of the same colour. The two girls practically blended right into the walls.

The journey to the headmaster's floor was surprisingly easy. Mari and Yukari ran, sprinted, crawled, and even jumped to hide themselves as they went to the headmaster's building. However, there turned out to be no one to hide from; oddly, Yuki nor Zero was anywhere in sight. Half-way through their escapade the girls realized this, and the rest of the way to the headmaster's office was ten times easier. Even the locks in the most guarded building on campus were no match for Mari's ingenious lock breaking talent.

The headmaster's floor was surprisingly bare, with a couple of shut doors on the side, and not much else. Yukari didn't know what to expect; she'd thought that, for someone as eccentric as the headmasters, his building would be bombarded with paintings or flowers or what not. However, the hallway remained pure of these, its rows of wall lights enveloping the room in a warm, welcoming feeling.

Nonetheless, Yukari didn't feel welcome at all. Her being an intruder and all.

"Mari, hurry it up!" Yukari urged with just enough volume to reach Mari, who was busying herself in the headmaster's room on the other side of the door, trying to locate the files.

"I am!" Mari rebuked. Then, a rattle. "Shit, these damn locks are hard to pick."

Then, out of the blue, Yukari heard faint murmurs coming from down the stairs. She froze in anticipation. Was someone coming up the stairs? _This_ late?

The murmurs were getting louder now.

"Mari!" Yukari hissed against the door. "Abort mission! Abort mission! Somebody's coming up the stairs!"

"What?" a muffled voice shot back. "Ok, I'm coming out now—"

The voices were **really** close now.

"No! Never mind, just stay there!" Yukari hissed through the door. She looked around desperately, looking for a place to hide.

'_What do I do? What if the rooms are all locked?_' Yuki glanced at the doors that looked like they had been collecting dust. '_Think, Yukari, think! What room do people never lock?_'

As soon as the answer struck her, Yukari bolted towards that door.

'_The bathroom!_'

Yukari skidded to the door labelled '_Headmaster's Private Bathroom! No Intruders Allowed! Except for Yuki *heart*_'_,_ and, with a gracious _click_, swung the door open and crept inside. As soundlessly as she could manage, Yukari fumbled with the doorknob, trying to get it to lock, but the voices were coming closer and closer now ('_they're heading for the bathroom!_' Yukari realized with dread) and why was this lock so darned complicated?

Giving up, Yukari swung back to take in the bathroom, her mind reeling into survival mode. The room was wide and spacious, with a big mirror stretching alongside the wall and a sink-counter below it. Yukari's eyes locked on the door beside the counter, a door that Yukari assumed was connected to another room.

Yukari walked hastily to that door and opened it. To her dismay, this doorknob was half broken, with broken wood and splinters and an empty space where the lock might have been.

Yukari turned around as she gently shut the door, exhaling to unwind the anxious tension in her chest. She flicked the light switch on, blinking several times to adjust to the dim light. This time, Yukari was faced with what seemed like a shower room, with a small mirror and sink in front of her and a tub at the corner of the room.

Compared to the bathroom outside, this room looked like it was from another world. The sink was covered in a thin film of grime, and the mirror was broken, with jagged fragments at the borders and nothing in the middle, like someone had punched it. The jagged ends of the mirror were caked in a flaky brown substance. The broken fragments split Yukari's bewildered face into pieces, forming a collage of a colossal, multi-eyed monster. The dim light bulb buzzed monotonously, making Yukari's body wind more and more with tension.

The _plop plop_ sound snapped Yukari from the mirror. The tap was on, a thin stream of water leaked over the sink and dripped eerily onto the floor.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

'_Ack!_' Yukari recoiled, her shoes splashing into a small puddle on the floor. '_I have to turn this off before this place gets flooded!_' Yukari thought as she strode to the sink.

"What's this?" Yukari murmured as she noticed a small, fallen bottle at the top perch of the sink, its contents of white tablets strewn across the edge.

As curiosity overtook her, Yukari ignored her instincts and picked a pill up to examine it. "BL-XXXV294"? Yukari read the letters indented into the pill.

Yukari's heart skipped a beat as she really saw the tap. No wonder the water was running! The knob of the tap was completely twisted off, the once-metallic coloured knob smeared in bright red.

Blood.

Yukari jumped, knocking the bottle to the ground. Its contents spilled onto the water-covered ground. Now, the sound of water tapping against the floor sent prickly shrills up Yukari's spine. She was overcome with an overwhelming urge to escape from this room which suddenly became too small, too suffocating to breathe in.

Yukari took one step back, then another, then another. Suddenly, a _crunch_ hit her ears. Her eyes bulged out when she looked down. The water on the floor has turned crimson red, the scarlet soaking her shoes and crawling up her socks.

It was _everywhere._

"**Aahh**!" Yukari screamed and stumbled backwards. The door behind her swung open, and Yukari spun around to meet a mop of silver hair and a pair of blood red eyes.

Zero Kiryu's usually solemn face was contorted into a mixture of shock, fury, and restrain. His blood shot eyes darted between Yukari and the floor. His teeth grit so hard that Yukari could hear their grinding. But what caught her attention the most was the huge cross shaped tattoo on his neck.

'_The tattoo Mari and I read about in the library._'

Yukari opened her mouth to say something, anything, but words died at her throat. No sound came out.

"Yukari Shiina?" Yuki said, suddenly appearing beside Zero. "What are you doing here?" Her skin was as white as a sheet, and she looked like she looked like she'd aged five years since Yukari last saw her. Her eyes, usually so bright and healthy, now screamed with panic. "Get out, quick!"

At Yuki's scream, Yukari's nerves snapped into overdrive. Her legs swung forward and she sprinted out of the room, accidentally knocking Yuki and Zero away. "I—I'M SORRY!" Yukari shouted as she stormed out of the washroom.

"Mari! Mari!" Yukari shouted, banging on the headmaster's door. "Come out!"

The door clicked open, and Mari peeped out. "Wha—" Yukari latched onto her and bolted down the hall. As Yukari ran, she glanced back to the washroom.

The door was shut.

xxxxx

I know, I know…not a lot of romance action in this chapter. But fear not! In the next chapter, we will delve into Ichijo's mind and uncover what his thoughts towards Yukari…Woot woot!

Oh, and thank you to all those who have reviewed this story. Your words really brighten my day, and help me become a better writer

Well, until the next chapter, Ciao!


	6. Fork Road

Hey lovely readers. Sorry about the late update. I've been really busy this past month, you see, 'cause I've been going to summer school…for ADVANCED CREDIT PHYSICS! So yeah…OH MY GOSH IM SOOO GLAD THAT IS OVER LOL. Oh man…

So that's my lame excuse for not updating sooner. Sorry! But please, enjoy this chapter ^.^

Disclaimer: Do not own, darnz it.

xxxxx

**6: Fork Road**

The fireplace enveloped the room in a warm orange glow. Ichijo Takuma stared fixated at his report, noises of pen scribbling on paper and the occasional crackles of fire the only sounds in the room. However, matter how much Ichijo tried to focus on his report, his thoughts kept streaming somewhere else. Finally, Ichijo gave up, taking his glasses off and leaning back in his chair, surrendering his mind to the girl who was currently invading his thoughts and just wouldn't let go. Ichijo closed his eyes, recalling the last conversation that he had with Yukari.

_"Ichijo-senpai…You're not a vampire."_

_Yukari had told him on the roof, her eyes fixed directly at him. _

_"You're relatable, and I like spending time with you. When I'm with you, I always forget you're a vampire."_

_That ethereal smile, her eyes so gentle and bare, her entire body coated in silver moonlight. _

_"I think I admire you, too."_

Unconsciously, the slightest hint of a smile spread over Ichijo's lips. It was soft and barely noticeable, so uncharacteristic of his usual wide-faced expressions. A real, genuine smile. The vice president had a reputation for being the most cheerful one among his comrades, but he couldn't quite remember a time in which he didn't need to push himself, even if just a little, to act that way. Ichijo suspected that this habit of his began from his childhood—it was then that he noticed smiling always got people to relax around him. From then on, Ichijo smiled everyday, every time he was with someone—and it just grew on him. After all, it was easier, much easier, to gain others' trust when he appeared vulnerable himself.

Ichijo's current self was a rare sight.

'_I wonder what she's doing right now,'_ He thought, eyes unconsciously trailing to the door. _'Probably sleeping…or maybe running again.'_

"Never in my life did I think I would see the hardworking vice president slack off." A soothing feminine voice emerged from the doorway, snapping Ichijo out of his thoughts. Ichijo straightened up to greet his visitor.

"Oh, hey Ruka. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

Ruka Souen walked into the room, noiselessly sitting on a long sofa beside Ichijo's Victorian mahogany desk. Ruka wasn't known as one of the most elegant girls on campus for nothing.

"Takuma, you know those classes only exist to keep us busy in this school. Besides, I heard _you've_ got another way of keeping yourself entertained."

Ichijo leveled his eyes with hers, cryptic emerald meeting icy blue.

"So you heard us that time? Is that why you're here?" He asked, the faintest of a smile still plastered to his lips. Ruka always hated that smile. It made Ichijo look patronizing.

"Ichijo. You're not dense enough to honestly think that I—that _we_ didn't notice, are you?" It was a statement, not a question.

"Well," Ichijo whispered, "I was hoping nobody would bring it up."

Ruka's demeanor was calm, but Ichijo detected the underlying sharpness in her tone. "And nobody did, because they know you as the level-headed vice president who never let things get out of hand." Ruka continued. "But I know better. What were you thinking, getting so close to that human? What if they discover our real identities, what then?"

"So you found me out, huh?" Ichijo asked sheepishly. "You don't have to worry, Ruka. I just happened to have something she was looking for—a little coincidence, that's all. She doesn't know anything about us. You shouldn't waste your energy fussing over such an irrelevant thing."

"Really," Ruka didn't sound at all convinced. "You let a girl—a human girl, no less—into your room because you wanted to return something of hers."

"Well, I didn't actually let her in. Yukari had enough guts to climb a tree and break into my room!" Ichijo split into a goofy smile at the memory of a comically panicked Yukari.

Ruka remained silent at Ichijo's name slip. '_He even made the effort to remember her name_.'

"You must have enough common sense to know the consequences of fraternizing with humans. Those humans knowing our identities will only lead to trouble. Not only for us, but for _her_ as well." Ruka stressed. "You know that."

Ichijo did know. Ruka's words were filled with ignorance and intolerance, but they had a degree of sincerity and truth as well.

Ichijo looked at her then, his face concrete and void of any emotion. "…Are you that concerned about Kaname, Ruka?"

In an instant, Ruka was in front of Ichijo's desk. "_Don't_," she hissed, her normally composed face twisted in agitation, vicious eyes burning with fury. _"Don't—"_

And then, just as soon as it came, Ruka's fury diminished, leaving behind a girl filled with bitter spite and suppressed pain.

Ruka and Ichijo stared at each other, neither party willing to back down and surrender. The fireplace crackled loudly with the tension in the air.

Finally, Ichijo dipped his head a little and burst into smile once more. "Sorry, Ruka. That remark was unintentional." He said in a cheerful voice, his usual smile back on his face.

Ruka clenched her teeth. "Fine then. If you're not going to listen to me, don't. Fall for that little human girl and see how she likes it." With that, Ruka turned around and flashed out of the room, her speed conjuring a breeze that blew the papers right off Ichijo's desk.

Ichijo stared into the long, empty corridor that Ruka exited through. As much as he detested Ruka's words, he knew they were true. He was a vampire, and _she_ was a human being. There was no getting around this reality, and there never will be. Ichijo still remembered the first time he saw her, running through the field, her entire body covered in raw exhilaration and freedom, her expression displaying fierce determination and innocent enjoyment that could only be achieved by someone completely ignorant of the real horrors in the world. Back then, Yukari was so strange to him, so foreign, so different, so frightening. The first time Ichijo talked to her, he was puzzled by her bare honesty and relaxed demenor. Yes, she was precautious against him—as well as she should be against someone so dangerous—but she didn't judge him or wish to use him. Yukari was so different from the hypocrisy and deception that dominated his life when he grew up. Slowly, but surely, Ichijo was enthralled by her. She was a tantalization, too pure for him to approach, but too difficult for him to resist. By the time Ichijo realized this, Yukari had already pushed herself into him and refused to let go.

Ichijo stared at his papers and, after a long silence, resumed writing.

He was at a fork road. He knew which road he should take—that anyone with rationality, with selflessness, would take.

But Ichijo never said he wasn't selfish.

Because even with all the odds stacked against him, he still wanted to see her.

For the first time in a long time, Ichijo Takuma was torn.

xxxxx

The first thing Yukari noticed when she woke up was that she was covered in blood. Thick crimson liquid oozed from the ceiling, sticking to her body, suffocating her. She struggled to get up from the floor to the door, to the opposite wall, anywhere away from the _blood_.

"Ugh! How did I get here? Where—" Yukari choked, realizing that she was back in the headmaster's bathroom. She ran to the door and pounded her fist on the surface, yelling frantically. More and more blood fell onto the floor, traveling up and staining her body.

"Help! Help! Somebody!" Now, half of the room was filled with blood, soaking into Yukari's clothes and rising steadily every second. She tried to kick the door down, but it stayed in place like iron melted into the ground. She scratched, punched and pounded until her hand bled, but she didn't care. _**Just**__**get me away from this blood! **_

"Damn it! Open up already!" The blood rose to her chin and into her mouth. Yukari gurgled on the invading liquid and slipped, falling into the sea of red. She flailed her arm around, trying to reach the surface that no longer seemed to exist.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

"YUKARI, SNAP OUT OF IT!" Yukari Suddenly felt a harsh sting on her cheek and jumped up from her bed at the impact. Still absorbed in her nightmare, Yukari flailed her hands around wildly. Yukari's fist punched into something warm and soft, earning a grunt from the abused entity.

The thing fell on the floor.

Finally, Yukari was back in reality. No longer was she immersed in a cold, slimy liquid, but was kneeling on a warm, soft mattress. Yukari looked into the dark and saw the outline of her room, familiar objects outlined by the moonlight. Yukari shivered, not from the fact that she was drenched in cold sweat, but from the after effects of her all-too-familiar nightmare.

"Ugh, what the hell…" Mari rose up from the floor slowly, her cheek starting to swell into an ugly purple blemish.

"Mari?" Yukari asked, her heart still beating a little too fast.

"Who do you think I am, huh?" The red head snapped, slowly rubbing her hand on her injury. "Seriously, I wake up at two o' clock in the morning to find my room mate thrashing in her bed, and when I go check on her, she punches me in the face!"

Yukari felt a wave of relief at Mari's snappy words. The blood, that horrible feeling of desperation and horror were all not real. She was back in the safety of her school, of her sweet, safe, and completely normal life, and of her seething best friend. "It was all a dream!" Yukari jumped off her bed and enveloped her best friend in a suffocating hug. "This is real…" Yukari squeezed Mari harder, thankful that Mari was here, in her normal life.

Mari relaxed in Yukari's hug. She didn't fully understand her friend's bizarre behaviors lately, but hugged her back anyways. Judging by the way Yukari acted the past few days, she needed one.

"Kari," Mari spoke up after a few seconds, Yukari still latching onto her. "Want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

Yukari pulled back, a little embarrassed by the fact that she needed to sleep in someone else's bed just to curb a nightmare. "Um…could I? I don't want to go back to sleeping by myself."

"Sure, why not? That way, I can finally get some rest. With you trying to assault me all night that would be impossible to accomplish. Just let me get some ice for this big bruise that somehow magically got on my face. You'd better hope this clears up by the dance, Kari!"

"Huh?" Yukari exclaimed in confusion, her eyes bulging at her first close-up view of Mari's rapidly swelling cheek. _Did I do that? Oh crap!_

xxxxx

One ice packet and an hour later, Yukari and Mari lay in Mari's too-small-for-two bed. Mari's eyes were shut and she drew soft breaths, seeming like she had already fallen asleep. Yukari on the other hand lay wide-eyed awake, too afraid to go to sleep again and relive the terror of her frequently occurring nightmare.

Yukari was so confused. The headmaster, Yuki, and Zero were all people that were supposed to protect them from potential vampire danger. The headmaster and the prefects were supposed to be people that she could trust—and yet, she had found blood tablets, something that only vampires consumed, in the headmaster's inner quarters. And Zero and his _eyes_, and that _tattoo_ of his and his _expression_ when he saw her—Zero looked like he was a drug addict depraved of his fix for years and Yukari was his fix, dangling right in front of him. And Yuki, she knew too. After all, Yuki was the one who pushed Yukari out of that room. What Yuki and Zero were doing behind that shut door Yukari had a rough idea of, but that idea was so bizarre and unsettling that Yukari's brain got twisted every time she thought of it.

…So there was that. But the problem now that kept Yukari from sleeping was the fact that her and Mari's faces were literally three centimeters apart! She could feel Mari's warm breaths on her face. She had only been this close in proximity with one other person in her life, and that was when she was a six-year-old girl, sleeping next to her mother!

_Oh my fudge, this is crazy. Her face is so close to mine! This bed is wayyy too small and…ah! Knowing my sleeping habits, I'd probably kick her off the bed the moment I fell asleep!_

"Ugh," Mari grunted, a frown forming on her face. "Yukari, go to sleep…" she slurred.

"Mari, you're awake?" Yukari said with astonishment.

"Well, yeah… It's hard to sleep when someone keeps staring at you, you know."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. Then maybe I should move back."

Suddenly, Mari's eyes flew open. "Don't," she said. "You're going to have nightmares again."

"Sorry. I guess it's pretty annoying, huh."

"You know it's not that," Mari mumbled. "It's just…a bit worried. Ever since that time at the headmaster's room, you…" she trailed off, leaving Yukari to mentally complete the sentence. After all, Yukari had been having nightmares about that incident almost every night for the past three days.

"Ever since that night, you've been spontaneously screaming and thrashing in your sleep. Your complexion is getting worse and worse by the day, and you've been spacing out twice as much as you normally do! What happened back there to make you like this? Why won't you ever tell me anything when I ask you about it?"

'_What do you want to know? That the entire night class is made up of vampires and that one of them, who just so happens to be the school prefect, is among us right now?'_ Yukari felt unexplainable anger rising within her. Then she saw Mari's worried face, and all her anger imploded into a small puff, leaving only guilty resignation. "I'm sorry, Mari." Yukari averted her eyes away from Mari's strained ones. _I'm the worst, _Yukari thought guiltily_. 'Mari's so worried about me right now and I keep lying to her. I don't deserve her trust.'_

Mari bit her lip in frustration at the sight of Yukari's downcast head. Knowing that she had lost, Mari sighed and pulled Yukari into a hug. Yukari's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I don't have any right to pry into your private life, anyway. I'm just scared for you, Yukari. You're acting so strange lately, and I don't even know how to help you. And I call myself your best friend—pathetic, huh?" she laughed.

Yukari shut her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around Mari's torso. '_No, I'm the pathetic one. I'm sorry, Mari—I'd tell you if I could, honest. I hate all this lying and keeping secrets between us. I want to be a good best friend for you, too.' _

"Wait a minute," Mari's mischievous voice returned. "You're not in _love_ with anyone, are you?"

"…HUH?" Yukari pulled away and stared at Mari to make sure she was actually serious. Was it just her, or did the atmosphere get a whole lot lighter all of a sudden?

"That'sit_! _ That explains _everything_! People always behave strangely when they're in love. You found a hubby, didn't you? Did you meet prince charming in the headmaster's washroom?" Mari laughed, making Yukari blush. "That's why you've been ignoring me lately, huh? Answer me you cheater!"

"Wha—" Yukari grew flustered, not knowing how to respond to such a claim. '_Me? Boyfriend? Never!'_

"You know I'd never let a guy get in the way of our friendship!" Yukari burst out without thinking.

"Really? Not even for Ichijo-senpai?" Mari smiled her famous mischievous grin, not noticing the slight twitch from Yukari.

"N—" _Never. Not even for him!_ That was what Yukari was supposed to say. But somehow she couldn't get the words out. The five simple words became burned at Yukari's scalding throat and simply won't come out, no matter how much Yukari tried to get them out.

"Yukari?" Mari asked, alarmed at her friend's sudden silence.

She meant it. She would forget about Ichijo Takuma if Mari was really serious about him. Besides, what was she worrying about? It wasn't like Yukari was actually interested in him in that way_, _right?

But, she knew that deep down, on a subconscious level, Yukari was lying to herself. Ever since that night on the roof, Yukari had been craving for Ichijo's presence, for another conversation that whisked her into his starry world. She longed for his daring voice, his warm green eyes, his rich laughter, and the surreal sense of safety and bliss that she felt when she was with him.

But Yukari had never dreamt of, or even guessed of, her having feelings for Ichijo romantically. Sure, Yukari saw him as a pleasant guy to be around with, but not someone she wanted to pursue and marry, like what people did in those romantic novels her friends liked so much.

No, Yukari was sure that her relationship with Ichijo would not go beyond that of a good friendship. And Yukari was sure that Ichijo felt the same way about her, too.

xxxxx


End file.
